NIOSH Chief, Some Teams Reinstated, as Kennedy Due at Hearing

• The head of NIOSH and members of several teams had their layoff notices rescinded Tuesday, CBS News reported, citing multiple officials.
• Several worker safety programs that had been eliminated by layoffs last month are being restored.
• Reinstatements are expected in NIOSH’s respiratory health division, division of safety research, division of compensation and analysis support and National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory. according to an email obtained by CBS News.
• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to face questions about the layoffs at House and Senate hearings Wednesday.
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Bechtel: Texas Scaffold Collapse ‘Tragedy That Shouldn’t Have Happened’

• Global engineering giant Bechtel has reportedly called last month’s deadly scaffolding collapse that killed three workers at a Texas construction site “a tragedy that should never have happened.”
• Craig Albert, Bechtel’s president and COO, issued a public statement following the April 29 incident at a Port Arthur LNG construction site.
• Both an OSHA investigation and a Bechtel internal review are underway.
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National Safety Council Funds Heat Stress Pilot Grants

• The National Safety Council has awarded over $140,000 to help employers combat the rising threat of occupational heat stress.
• Through the Work to Zero Heat Stress Pilot Grant, organizations will test and evaluate technologies to protect workers from heat-related illness and death.
• Among the grant recipients are Allegion and WSP USA, which will each trial Apex Cool Labs’ handheld cooling and sensor technology to enhance heat safety in their respective industries.
• Geo-Technology Associates will test Critical Ops’ drone-based precision mapping to mitigate heat stress at its high-heat construction sites
• “This new pilot grant program shows how technology can be used to save lives. By enabling organizations to test innovative solutions in real-world settings, we’re creating a pathway to scalable safety practices that can prevent heat-related tragedies before they happen,” said Katherine Mendoza, senior director of workplace safety programs at NSC.
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Wisconsin Farm Safety Program Under Threat of Fed Cuts

• A Wisconsin-based research center focused on improving the health and safety of farmers and their children is under “existential threat” due to federal funding cuts.
• The National Farm Medicine Center at the Marshfield Clinic Health System researches the causes of farm injuries and fatalities.
• It is home to the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety, one of 12 agricultural centers across the country funded by NIOSH.
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Tennessee Inmates Earn OSHA Certification

• 14 inmates in Tennessee’s Madison County jail have completed a vocational training program and earned their OSHA certification.
• One of more than 25 workforce re-entry training programs offered to the inmates, the OSHA 10-Hour Construction course provides foundational knowledge of occupational safety and health standards appropriate for careers in construction.
• From industry-specific workplace hazards like falls and electrocution to basics like workers’ rights and resources, this training helps to ensure workers have the knowledge they need to stay safe on the job.
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